Step 1

HYDRATE THE YEAST: Warm the milk to about 110-115 F (43-46 C). This can be done on the stove top or in the microwave. It should take about 30-45 seconds in the microwave. Make sure the milk is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir it together.

Step 2

COMBINE THE FAT & SUGAR: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the cooled butter, sugar, and salt with a spoon or a rubber spatula.

Step 3

ADD THE EGGS: Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next.

Step 4

ADD THE MILK/YEAST: Stir in the milk/yeast mixture.

Step 5

ADD THE FLOUR: Stir in 4 cups of the flour until it is all hydrated. The dough will be shaggy at this point.

Step 6

KNEAD: This dough can be kneaded by hand or with the dough hook of a stand mixer. If kneading by hand, lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough for about 6-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be very sticky to start, but will become less sticky as it is kneaded. If kneading in the stand mixer, knead at medium/high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping about halfway through to scrape the bottom of the bowl. If needed, add more flour while kneading until you have a soft dough.

Step 7

FERMENT: Lightly spray the dough with oil and cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it ferment at room temperature until double in size. This will take about 30-45 minutes if you used quick rise yeast and 1-2 hours if active dry yeast was used. A warm spot will speed up the fermentation time.

Step 8

COOK ONIONS: Heat your cooking oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium/high heat. Cook the diced onions and minced garlic for about 3 minutes, until the onions become translucent and are beginning to take on some color.

Step 9

COOK THE MEAT: Add the ground beef to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until the meat is cooked through.

Step 10

ADD THE CABBAGE: Add the cabbage and 1 tsp salt to the pan. It will look like too much but it will wilt down considerably. Saute until the cabbage completely wilts down, about 3-4 more minutes.

Step 11

SEASON: Taste the mixture and add black pepper and more salt to taste. Allow the mixture to cool for at least 10 minutes before filling the bierocks.

Step 12

DIVIDE THE DOUGH: Gently press down on the middle of the yeast dough to deflate it, and then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. You can do this by eyeballing it or if you would like to weigh the pieces out they should be about 83-85 grams each.

Step 13

FILL THE BIEROCKS: Roll each piece of dough to about 1/8" thick. If using, place about 2 tbsp shredded cheese on the dough and then top with a generous 1/3 cup of filling. It may look like too much filling but the dough will stretch to close. Bring the corners of the dough up to the center and pinch to seal like a little purse. Place the filled bierocks on parchment lined baking sheets.

Step 14

PROOF THE BIEROCKS: Cover the prepared bierocks with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) .

Step 15

BAKE THE BIEROCKS: Uncover the bierocks and bake in a 350 F (177 C) oven for 30 minutes, until the bierocks are golden brown. If desired, brush the baked bierocks with melted butter. Serve with mustard or sauce of choice.